Atelier d'émail Maelle Constant

Enamelling techniques

Enamel in all its glory...

Enamel: an extraordinary material...

Proche du verre, l’émail est une matière minérale vitrifiée utilisée dans de nombreux domaines, dont l’horlogerie. Il est constitué majoritairement de silice, présent dans le sable, et d’oxydes d’origine métallique, qu’on ajoute pour le colorer.

Après broyage en très fine poudre, l’émail est appliqué avec soin sur un support métallique avant d’être passé au feu, entre 700 et 900 degrés (c’est pourquoi on parle d’émail « grand feu » !), pendant environ 2 minutes. La matière va ainsi se vitrifier et se parer d’une brillance éclatante.

L’émail se caractérise par sa durabilité exceptionnelle, puisqu’il est inaltérable dans le temps. Son utilisation remonte d’ailleurs à des millénaires : il serait apparu pour la première fois en Egypte, 3000 à 1500 ans av. JC !

These extraordinary properties have made it a symbol of quality, elegance and refinement, and explain its use today in the manufacture of top-of-the-range watches.

Outils et émaux atelier d'émail

The exceptional techniques used in l'Atelier d'émail Maëlle Constant

Cadran de montre en émail grisaille

Grisaille

Let's travel back in time with the ancestral technique of grisaille, used in the past to give life to the drapery and volumes of the body... On a traditionally black background, successive layers of white are applied with meticulous precision using a needle or brush. This is done using Blanc de Limoges, which has a texture similar to oil paint. Numerous passes through the fire produce shades of white, giving the drawing exceptional depth, evoking a strikingly beautiful black and white photograph.

montre en émail cloisonné

Cloisonné

The cloisonné technique involves shaping the contours of the desired motif before filling in the different areas (known as ‘cells’ or ‘pockets’) with colour. These contours are shaped with gold or silver wire, and above all... with great dexterity and meticulousness! The cells, meanwhile, are filled with enamels in a variety of colours, allowing you to play with contrasts. After vitrification, the partitions remain visible, delicately and precisely outlining the shapes.

Technique émail plique à jour

Plique-à-jour

This fascinating technique produces a result similar to church stained glass. The first step is to meticulously cut and open the metal base, creating empty cells. These bottomless cells are then filled with transparent enamel. The vitrified enamel miraculously holds together between the metal wires, creating a spectacular play of light and offering infinite possibilities for creating different planes.

Technique champlevé émail

Champlevé

Very popular at the time, champlevé fell into disuse for a long time... It has resurfaced thanks to contemporary enamellers and jewellers, who have rediscovered the possibility of using this technique to add a touch of timeless elegance to their creations. In the workshop, I work closely with Coralie Mercier, from CM Gravure, to whom I entrust all the engraving work before or after enamelling.

Cadran de montre émail sur guilloché

Guilloché enamelling

The technique of guilloché enamelling combines the transparency of enamel with the art of engraving. First, the metal base of the dial is engraved, either in basse-taille (engraving of a very low relief) or in guillochage (engraving with geometric and repetitive motifs). Once the design has been created, several layers of transparent enamel are applied. After vitrification, the light shines through the enamel, revealing the engravings and giving them incomparable depth.

Cadran de montre émail paillonné

"Paillonné" enamel

"Paillonné" enamel is a rare and prestigious technique. Tiny shapes cut from gold or silver foil, the paillons, are captured under a thin layer of fondant (colourless transparent enamel) to protect them from oxidation. Paillons are precious and in increasingly short supply, giving paillonné enamel an aura of exception and unrivalled luxury.

Enamel reveals an infinite range of possibilities, both in terms of the richness of its colours and the multitude of techniques it can be used in.

The only limit is our imagination... Let's push it back together, to create the unique dial that will make your watch an exceptional object and captivate everyone's attention!